Cbc20180630

Summary

CBC News: Sat June 30, 2018 (Clare Hennig) Vigil for missing Nanaimo, B.C., woman continues 16 years after her disappearance

source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/lisa-marie-young-vigil-continues-16-years-later-1.4729649
archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20200618020707/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/lisa-marie-young-vigil-continues-16-years-later-1.4729649
clip: https://lisamarieyoung.ca/n/cbc20180630

[Reproduced under Copyright Act (Canada) s.29.2 - Fair Dealing for the purpose of news reporting]

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Vigil for missing Nanaimo, B.C., woman continues 16 years after her disappearance

Sixteen years ago, over the Canada Day long weekend, 21-year-old Lisa Marie Young went missing in Nanaimo, B.C., after a night out with friends.

No arrests were ever made and her case remains unsolved.

"It's been really hard on the family," said her aunt, Carol Frank.

Every year, on the anniversary of her disappearance, Young's mother Joanne Young held a vigil for her daughter. Joanne passed away last year, but the vigil will still take place.

"That's what my sister wanted, for people to not forget Lisa and other missing people around us," Frank told Jason D'Souza, host of CBC's All Points West. "It might trigger somebody's memory or somebody to come forward."

Young had been at a local bar until closing time on June 30, 2002.* She left with some friends to go to a house party and they caught a ride from another man, someone the group had just met.

The last time Young was seen she was with the driver of the car. No one has heard from her since.

Young's mother had been the main point of contact with investigators, Frank said. She and other family members met with them recently.

"They said that they are still following leads," Frank said. "It brought comfort to my dad because he believes they weren't doing anything."

'Epidemic' of missing women

Frank is organizing the annual vigil with Cyndy Hall, who knew Young in passing and had mutual friends with her.

"It's coming up to 16 years and that's a really long time to not have your loved one and to not have answers," Hall said.

She said she hopes the vigil brings awareness about Young's case as well as other missing people.

"It's making people realize that there is an epidemic of missing and murdered women and girls in Canada," Hall said. "We should all care as a community."

The march and vigil starts at 1 p.m. Saturday outside the Nanaimo police station.

[image caption:] Lisa pictured on her 21st birthday, less than two months before she disappeared. (Facebook)

[image caption:] No arrests were ever made after Lisa went missing and her case remains unsolved. (Facebook)

[image caption:] Lisa Marie Young went missing in Nanaimo on June 30, 2002 and, every year since, her mother organized a vigil in her memory to raise awareness. (Facebook)

* Several publications misreported dates surrounding Lisa's disappearance (likely confused by the long weekend). Lisa's parents last saw her late Sunday June 30^th, and she was last seen by her friends at the bar and at two parties early Monday July 1^st (Canada Day), which was also the day she was to move into her new apartment, and when her disappearance was reported to RCMP.   (See the timelines.)